U.S. Defense Secretary Halts Planned Troop Reductions in Europe

The U.S. defense secretary halted plans to reduce American troop levels in Europe, The Wall Street Journal reported July 3. The decision came shortly before a planned announcement at a June meeting in Brussels. The proposal had been shared with the secretary of state and other senior White House officials before it was withdrawn. Some troop and equipment reductions had already begun in May.

Earlier reporting indicated the Pentagon planned to remove about $50 billion in equipment from Europe. One-third of F-15 and F-15E fighter jets, one-fifth of KC-135 and KC-46 refueling aircraft, and half of MQ-4 and MQ-9 Reaper drones were slated to leave, along with half of strategic bombers and aircraft carriers.

Naval assets were also affected in the earlier plan, with nearly half of maritime patrol aircraft, nearly half of destroyers, and the sole cruise-missile submarine scheduled for withdrawal.

The number of brigade combat teams in Europe had already dropped from four to three under a May 19 Department of War press release. Each brigade combat team includes more than 4,000 soldiers plus artillery and heavy weapons.

The Senate version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision directing the defense secretary to provide intelligence support to Ukraine for operations aimed at defending and retaking territory. Ukrainian forces struck a dormitory in Russian-held Luhansk on May 23.

Russian forces responded the next day with an Oreshnik missile, 600 strike drones, and 90 air-, sea-, and ground-launched missiles, according to Ukrainian and Russian reports.